Users frequently require reference to documents that change on a periodic basis. For example, computer programmers use online help facilities within integrated development environments to learn specifics of the operating system(s) for which they are developing. The specifics may include information regarding application programming interfaces (APIs), which are routines used by an application program to direct the performance of procedures by the operating system.
In some instances, the APIs may be used across a number of different platforms, such that the APIs are employed differently depending on the platform being used. Alternatively, different APIs may be specific to different platforms. Within the prior art, a programmer must refer to a number of different sources to learn how a particular API is used on particular platforms. For example, the programmer may reference a primary help file to learn about the API functionality generally. The programmer may also reference one or more supplemental help files to learn how the API is specifically used on a particular platform.
This can be a laborious and confusing process, however. The programmer may learn one thing from the main help file, and something contradictory from one of the supplemental files. Furthermore, development of the supplemental help files by vendors may require duplicative work, inasmuch as the supplemental help files integrate some of the information found in the main help file. For these and other reasons, there is a need for the present invention.